Revision as of 21:21, 29 June 2013

Contents

Get in

There are no direct bus to Shaxi from Lijiang or Dali. To reach Shaxi, first take a long distance bus to Jianchuan (剑川) from either Lijiang or Dali (Xiaguan).

From Old Town Dali:
Take either bus no. 4 or no. 8 to Xiaguan. From the last stop on bus no. 4, take a taxi to the north bus station (ke yun bei zhan, 客运北站). Bus no. 8 will stop outside of the north bus station. Long distance bus service to Jianchuan runs every 15-30 mins from 6:20am to 6:50pm, the cost of the ticket is ￥26 and it takes about 3 hours to arrive in Jianchuan (depending on traffic, road condition, and stops along the way). The whole journey from Old Town Dali to Jianchuan will take around 4.5-5 hours, including time waiting for the bus. It may also be possible to wave down the bus to Jianchuan from highway just east of Old Town Dali if you can read the Chinese characters for Jianchuan, it could save you the trouble of going south to Xiaguan first, but seating is not guaranteed. Or flag down any of the buses going to Shangri-la and get off in Jianchuan.

From Old Town Lijiang:
From main road at the entrance to the old town (near the big water wheel), take bus no. 11 or bus no. 8 to the Lijiang long distance bus station (Lijiang ke yun zhan, 丽江客运站). Buy a ticket to Jianchuan which will cost ￥25 and take about 2-2.5 hours.

From Shangri-la:
Take any of the buses going to Dali and get off in Jianchuan.

When you arrive in Jianchuan:
There are mini-bus services just outside of Jianchuan bus station that take about 45 minutes to reach Shaxi (¥10). The bus departs from Jianchuan whenever it is semi-full with passengers. Try not to arrive in Jianchuan too late in the evening or else there may not be enough passengers to fill up a bus to Shaxi. It should also be possible to catch a mini-bus at the junction for Shaxi (Diannan), 8km south of Jianchuan. Hitching should also be possible if not preferable!

Get around

The main village of Shaxi (Sideng) can be easily toured by walking. It's also possible to visit the many other villages in Shaxi on foot, however, renting a bicycle would be a quicker and better option. Some of the guesthouses in Shaxi, such as Horse Pen 46 Guesthouse, the Dragonfly and 58 Yard, offer bicycle rental to Shaxi visitors. Hiking and horseback riding are the main options for a visit into the mountains around Shaxi.

See

Baoxiang Temple (宝相寺), (See Shibao Shan).

Shizhong Temple (石钟寺), (See Shibao Shan). If you buy the ticket at Shizhong Temple, it is ¥10.

Shibao Shan (石宝山; Stone Treasure Mountain), (12km north of Shaxi on the road from Jianchuan and 11km south of the Dali-Jianchuan road). A fantastic nature reserve and religious site that was one of the first to be officially protected by China in 1982. There are numerous temples and grottoes as well as some fantastic views and walks amongst the old forests. Shibaoshan covers a big mountain area with its main points of interest some times distant kilometers away. Arriving there by taxi it is advisable to ask the driver to take you to some of the further temples (he will not need to pay entrance ticket), as Baoxiang Temple. Going up to the temple there are some families of monkeys that some times turn very aggressive to the visitors. Minor injuries have been reported. Shizhong Temple (Stone Bell Temple) has the highest concentration of stone carvings. If you want to walk from Sideng town: get out of town through the main road going North, pass a gas station on your left, and on kilometer mark 113 turn left (West) into a dirt road; walk about 20 minutes and reach the southern edge of the Shibaoshan area (it's another 1-2 hours walk uphill to Shizhong Temple).The entrance fee is ¥50 (students free?).

Friday Market, (On the main road in Sideng. Just follow all the crowds.). As the last remaining market town on the ancient Tea & Horse Caravan trail, Shaxi still hosts the local market every Friday. The Bai people from all the villages in Shaxi Valley and the Yi people from the surrounding mountains all come together to trade everything from fresh produces to supplies and horses. Minority women will be dressed in their colorful traditional costumes, and men will often lead pack mules to carry supplies back to their mountain villages, much like in the days of the Tea & Horse Caravan Trail hundreds of years ago.

Bailong Tan (白龙潭; White Dragon Pool), (Up on a hill about 8km south of Sideng village). A pool formed by a clear undeground spring, this small lake is believed to be sacred to the local Bai people. It supplies drinking water to the villages in Shaxi Valley.

Heilong Tan (黑龙潭; Black Dragon Pool).

Mapingguan Village (马坪关), (15km southwest from Sideng village). Located between Shaxi Valley and the three major Dianxi salt wells to the west, Mapingguan was an important checkpost during the time of the Tea & Horse Caravan Trail where the government collected tax on the salt trade.

Do

Hiking. There are a lot of hiking trails in the mountains both to the east and to the west of Shaxi Valley. The trails are what the local villagers use to go between villages, or to collect firewood, wild herbs, and mushrooms. There are no markers, the trails are easy to follow, but a good sense of direction is needed to not get lost.The 46 Horse Pen Hostel hosts weekly guided hikes around the mountains every Saturday. If you're lucky, they'll bring along their two giant dogs to make the hike more fun.

Cycling. The Shaxi Valley and its numerous villages is a great place to explore on a bicycle. A day spent riding on the small single-track trail between green farm fields can yield many surprises and hidden gems.

Kayaking. 2 hr. It's possible to kayak down the shallow and slow moving water of the Heihui River to see Shaxi Valley from a different angle. Starting from the northern edge of Shaxi Valley and Shibaoshan and ends in Sideng village, the water is mostly flatwater, with a couple small dams that can be navigated.Professional guiding is required.

Horseback riding.

Holidays and Festivals

Torch Festival (火把节). A major festival for the Bai and the Yi minorities around Shaxi, it is held every year on the 25th day (24th for the Yi people) of the 8th month on the lunar calendar. The local villagers will light torches and big barn fires everywhere, and dance and sing around the fires. The Gregorian calendar dates for Taizihui Holiday from year 2010 to 2015 are: August 5 (2010), September 22 (2011), October 10 (2012), September 29 (2013), September 18 (2014), October 7 (2015)

Taizihui Holiday (太子会), (fax: "). The biggest religious holiday in Shaxi, it is held every year on the 8th day of the second month on the lunar calendar. The Gregorian calendar dates for Taizihui Holiday from year 2010 to 2015 are: March 23 (2010), March 12 (2011), Feburary 29 (2012), March 19 (2013), March 8 (2014), and March 27 (2015).

Buy

Wood carving.

Wild mushrooms.

Eat

Dancing Mule Cafe, Duanjiadeng Village (About 3 km north of the old town, take the turn off marked Duan Village), ☎(+86) 13577851712, [1]. The main building has tables for at least twenty people, including three balcony tables overlooking the temple courtyard and the fields beyond. All the dishes are sourced locally in the family fields and signature dishes include fried goat cheese in sugar, sweet and sour aubergines and 'Duan Jia' Bai style Noodles. All bookings must be made in advance - telephone (+86) 13577851712 (English, French and Chinese spoken).35 RMB per person.

Gui Ju Hotel (贵菊饭店). The English sign says "hotel", but it's actually just a restaurant. A good budget option to taste some local dishes, the food is good and the price is reasonable.

Horse Pen 46 Youth Hostel, at the south of the theater stage on the old town square. They serve nice coffee, nice western breakfast, as well as Sichuan & Cantonese style cuisines.

Tangerine Restaurant (桔子饭店), (Right next to the entrance of the old cobblestone street, under a sign that says Square Street Inn). An old restaurant under new management, this quickly became a favorite among the travelers for its convenient location and good food at an affordable price.

Xi Lu Inn. Located in the inner courtyard of the Inn, this is one of the cleaner (and more expensive) eateries in town. They serve a mixture of local and Sichuan-style cuisine.

Drink

Allen`s Cafe, Sideng Square (South of the old theater stage in the town square), ☎+86 13529720775. PM. Eclectic, multinational meeting place, a bar and cafe.

Trail Cafe (溪语咖啡), (At the northeastern edge of the town square).

Old Tree Cafe (老槐树咖啡), (At the northeastern edge of the town square). Serves coffee, tea, and snacks.

Sleep

58 Yard (58号小院), No. 58 Sideng Street (West of the town square). 40元 for a bed, 150-250元 for a room. A nice place that has been tastefully decorated and has clean rooms. At this place, you are certainly not "roughing it". Don't let the "free breakfast" be the draw, you could buy the half apple and bun in the market for less than 1 kuài.

The Old Theatre Inn (formely Dragonfly Guest House), Duanjiadeng Village (About 3 km north of the old town, take the turn off marked Duan Village), ☎(+86) 13577851712, [3]. A unique home-stay type guesthouse, housed within an authentically restored, eighteenth-century temple-theatre courtyard complex. Three doubles and one twin room are available, each with 24hr hot water showers and western style toilets. All rooms have their own sun terrace at the rear, along with electric blankets and clerestory windows for extra winter warmth. Facilities include free wi-fi, a common room and dining area, a washing machine, bike rentals and local guiding service. The Old Theatre Inn is an excellent out of town alternative for those looking to stay in a rural village setting. The Owner speaks English, French and Chinese.250 RMB per night.

Jinshui Loutai (近水楼台; House near the Water), (East of the town square, next to the Eastern Village Gate). (26.316123,99.853524)

Keep Watch 6740 (守望 6740）, (To the left of the back alley of the town square), ☎(0872)4722427, [5]. The guest house is owned and operated by a Tibetan family, which also runs a well-received hostel in Shangri-La. The entire place including the reception room, a courtyard, and a balcony is well decorated. The place has only private rooms for now, though dorm beds could be added in the future.

Laomadian Lodge (老马店), (East of the main crossroads at the town square). (26.316351,99.853065)

Ou Yang Guesthouse (三家巷), (East of the main crossroads before the town square, on the left).

Pingchang Renjia (平常人家), (North of the town square, in the North Tibet Alley).

Pingsheinn(平舍客栈), South Tibet Alley(Close to South gate of ancient town), ☎+8613608825860. This inn is essentially pure and simple with high quality([email protected]).

Shaxi Cultural Center (沙溪文化中心), (Follow signs from square), ☎08724722188, [6]. Rooms in a beautifully restored courtyard compound that support sustainable community development in Shaxi. Hot water in rooms, library and Internet.

Square Street Inn, (At the main crossroads).

Tea and Horse Caravan Trail Inn (古道客栈), North of the town square, 83# in the North Tibet Alley, ☎+868724721051，+8615308724988. The oldest inn in Shaxi. Warm and sunny traditional yard, full of tree and flowers, provide local food. 10 new rooms with showers and western styly toilets in rooms, free Wi-Fi and washer. E-mail:[email protected], web [7]

Xi Lu Inn, No. 33 Sideng Street (South of the main crossroads at the corner). Very nice rooms in lovely traditional coutyard home with two double beds, electric blankets, television and water heater. Friendly service but probably one of the more expensive options in the town.

Yezi's Guesthouse (叶子的家), (South of the town square, in a side alley of the South Tibet Alley).

Contact

Get out

Catch the mini-bus (45 mins, ￥10) to Jianchuan from outside the Shaxi bus station. There are daily buses to many other cities in Yunnan from the Jianchuan bus station. Price and schedule subject to change so better confirm with the Jianchuan bus station when you first arrive in Jianchuan.

Jianchuan and the roads that lead to both Lijiang and Dali are currently quite congested due to large scale road construction of the new Kunming Shangri-La Highway. On the road to Dali, be prepared for long traffic jams and white knuckle encounters with heavy lorries. To go straight to Old Town Dali without getting stuck at the bus station, ask the driver to drop you off at the East Gate, as the bus will pass right near it. Ask your hostel to write this down in Chinese for you. You will save both time and money.
If heading to Dali an interesting alternative with much better scenery is the X804 road down through Qiao Hou, Lian Tie and into Yangbi. Mini Buses leave Jianchuan at 7.30am and 1.20 pm everyday, arriving to pick up outside the stationary store in Shaxi Village about one hour later. The fare down to Yangbi is 25 RMB and the trip takes about four hours. From Yangbi Station, there are regular buses to Xiaguan (Dali New Town), Xiaohuayuan Qiqezhan every few minutes. The journey takes the old road and is about 40 minutes costing 10 RMB.